Some people with HIV who remain symptom-free for decades without treatment
have an unusual immune system to thank for staying healthy—rather than a
mild strain of the virus, say researchers. A team from the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases found that 11 out of a group of 13 “long-term
nonprogressors” had a peculiar form of the HLA protein on the surface of their
immune cells. This form was missing from the cells of people whose disease
progressed at the expected rate. The team hopes these results will eventually
lead to better treatments (Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, vol 97, p 2709).
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